Brett Dryden was found dead inside his home in Mojacar, Almeria, in July last year after suffering a four-inch head wound
Former Nissan worker Brett Dryden, 35, was found dead in his house in Mojacar in July last year(Image: Daily Mirror)
A mother who believes her son was murdered in Spain has hired two former British detectives to investigate his death.
Sam Hutchinson and Emma Coles, of Verity Henton Private Investigations, have agreed to take on the case of Brett Dryden, 35, who was found dead in July last year. Brett’s mother Sandra Adams told the Mirror: “They have ex-police inspectors [in Spain]. They are setting a clear line of investigation.”
Sandra, 56, from Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, is campaigning for a Spanish judge to reopen the police investigation into the death of her son, who ran a legal cannabis club called The Dawg House. Spanish officers think Brett was the victim of a robbery at his home in Mojacar, Costa de Almeria, that was carried out while he prepared to buy and sell marijuana.
READ MORE: Student ‘tortured and burned alive by sick thieves for dad’s cryptocurrency riches’READ MORE: DNA on a cigarette butt unlocks 20-year riddle of brutal Jennifer Kiely murder
Sam Hutchinson and Emma Cole started their own Private Detective Agency after leaving jobs in the police(Image: ITV)
Ms Hutchinson, 57, and Ms Coles, 41, are former Essex Police anti-corruption officers, who launched their agency in April 2020. News of their role in the case comes days after it was reported a Home Office pathologist had carried out a post mortem on Brett’s remains and issued a report disagreeing with the findings of a Spanish pathologist.
A post mortem in Spain ruled the dad-of-one’s death was due to pulmonary haemorrhage and his body had tested positive for cocaine and cannabis. Police said there was no sign of a struggle and his bloody footsteps on the floor ended where his body was found. He also suffered a four-inch head wound.
The pair were seen running away from Brett’s house with two bags, including one believed to contain more than £7,000 and another with marijuana
Dr Cooper, honorary consultant at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, reportedly wrote in his report: “I am not in the least persuaded by the cause of death offered by the pathologist in Spain.” According to his analysis, changes that were observed in former Nissan factory worker Brett’s lungs were non-specific and “in no way suggest an adverse drug reaction”.
He added an external examination found residual bruising on the forehead, dark abrasions around the elbows and knees, and contusions on the torso and legs, which were “consistent with having been assaulted”.
One of the men was wearing a cap and a face mask while “keeping watch” outside Brett’s apartment
Sandra is calling for a new probe after being given a Spanish police report which features CCTV of two men, wearing caps and face coverings, running away from Brett’s house with two bags. One is believed to contain more than £7,000 in cash and the second is thought to be filled with marijuana.
Despite the findings, the judge in charge of the case “provisionally” closed it in September, concluding there was nothing to support suspicions Brett was killed or enough evidence to put anyone on trial.
Sandra Adams wants Spanish police need to do more to investigate her son’s case(Image: James Breeden for Daily Mirror)
Sandra handed us the report, compiled by the Civil Guard’s homicide unit, as she believes it is full of holes. In April, she made a heartbreaking journey to the spot where Brett died in a desperate bid for answers. She led more than 20 loved ones on a memorial walk wearing T-shirts with a message calling for justice.
Verity Henton Private Investigations was contacted for comment. It has offices in Central London’s Mayfair and Essex, with around 100 staff, including its “spy mums” founders. The pair also appeared on ITV ’s This Morning in 2022.